Harrington shoots 65 between the jig and the reels

PADRAIG HARRINGTON was blissfully unaware of it, but he was involved in the biggest drama when the Omega Hong Kong Open started yesterday.

As defending champion Harrington chipped onto the sixth green en route to a five under par 65 which left him only one behind Australian Adam Groom, American Bryan Saltus was watching.

The problem was that he did not want to be watching. He wanted to get to the 10th tee - in a hurry. Saltus, not even in the world's top 1,000 and trying this week to save his Asian Tour career, was due there to begin his first round, but the driver of the minibus he was in was worried about disturbing Harrington and had stopped.

"Come on, Padraig Harrington is famous enough. He's got enough money. Let's go," shouted Saltus.

They started moving again and he avoided a two-stroke penalty with only 10 seconds to spare - after the official starter had told him to run and then had given him a ball so he did not have to get one out of his bag.

"It was all a bit stressful," commented the 33-year-old from California, whose week had already included losing his four iron. Yet his day turned out far better than he feared. He kicked off with a birdie, used the starter's "lucky" ball throughout the round and finished with a 66.

There is pressure on leader Groom as well. Two weeks ago he failed at the European tour qualifying school by one agonising shot, missing a 12-inch putt on the 107th of the 108 holes. Now the 25-year-old from Sydney, ranked 513th in the world, has a chance to earn a three-year exemption by winning this weekend. But he has not only Harrington, but also Ryder Cup team-mates David Howell and Miguel Angel Jimenez right on his heels.

If ever Harrington needed an extra incentive for trying to make his first successful defence of a trophy he said it came on the eve of the event when a cocktail party was given an Irish theme in his honour.

"It's the first time that has happened for me," said the world number six, who responded to the gesture by getting Howell and Ian Poulter up on stage to join him for some Irish dancing.

"I've an international trophy for it," he then revealed. "I went to the States when I was 12 to play Gaelic football for my school and there was a festival. I got to take part in the Irish dancing and won it."

Harrington did not drop a stroke, his best shot being a four iron to 10 feet on the same hole.

Poulter had a 70, one worse than Nick Faldo, Paul Lawrie and Thomas Bjorn, while Volvo China Open champion Stephen Dodd had a 68.